Apollo 8 astronaut confirmed dead by plane crash in waters between San Juan islands

Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic “Earthrise” photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, has been killed when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state.

Anders was 90-years-old.

His son, Greg Anders, confirmed the death Friday to The Associated Press. The San Juan County Sheriff says a report came in shortly before noon Friday that an older model plane crashed into the water and sank near the north end of Jones Island.

Around 1 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard said it was responding to reports of a plane crash between Orcas and Jones islands just south of the Canadian border.

The Coast Guard says crews from two Washington state stations conducted search and rescue efforts Friday afternoon.

The Canadian Coast Guard told CityNews it was not involved in the response.

U.S. Coast Guard did not say where the plane took off from.

—With files from Cole Schisler and Hana Mae Nassar